The Slushy Show
The Slushy Show is a shelved film pitch developed vaguely in 2011. It revolves around a re-envisioned world of Slushy the Bullfrog, as well as his friends Cone and Jackalslapnasty. Several characters that debuted in 2 Old Men and a Frog are set to return here, if slightly reinterpreted. This version of the Slushy universe finds Slushy and friends/fiends inexplicably stranded on the Philippine island of Mindanao, trying to make sense of their new lives there. Plot Through "a lot set of stories nobody cares about," Slushy and Cone end up stranded ashore on the island of Mindanao. They bemoan that they're thousands of miles away from Louisiana; and that they feel generally useless. Slushy immediately wants to go put his propensity for wisecracks to some practical use. Cone, along for the ride, is always happy regardless the situation. While crossing the street, they're nearly run over by a jeepney speeding out of control. They ponder how their situation can get worse, when it's revealed that the Toad also got there somehow. And now, she wants both Slushy and Cone dead. Elsewhere, a young fashion model team's show is interrupted when the judge's microphone goes missing. This leads to a chase ensuing when it is revealed that Jackalslapnasty stole the microphone so he could annoy everyone. The chase eventually leads to a movie theater, where Jackalslapnasty escapes by apparently climbing inside the film. His pursuers abandon the chase in total dismay. One depressed teen, Sally Neriyan, exits the theater sighing even as everyone else is demanding a refund when Jackalslapnasty alters the film's plot. To Sally, it doesn't matter. The film was just a diversion to ward off her depression. Her father, radio station manager Nolan Neriyan, is struggling to keep his operations running. An evil exec from a rival political family background wants to take over the station and close it. Morning listeners are down, so there appears to be some justification. The morning talk show host is dying of cancer; and Nolan is running out of ideas. Sally's mother is also missing, and police assume the worst. Other girls from school taunt Sally for being a social outcast. However, that's when things change. Slushy and Cone escape into Sally's bedroom to get away from the Toad. It does not take long before Sally and Slushy are introduced; and their collective brainstorm leads to "The Slushy Show" in the mornings. Slushy could soon turn the entire island upside-down with his biting humor and sassy remarks. But Nolan's rival is not about to go down without a fight; and teams up with the Toad to do-in Slushy and the radio station once and for all! Will Cone, Jackalslapnasty, Maldo, and Sphere be able to help Slushy and Sally keep Nolan's radio station on the air? For what exactly does the Toad want revenge on Slushy so bad? Will Sally ever admit to herself her feelings for Wally at school? Characters Animals * Slushy the Bullfrog: A magic mango-enhanced bullfrog with a lot of personality. He is something of a smart-alack, and likes to annoy his detractors. Originally the star of 2 Old Men and a Frog, his connections to Garequinn and Bellquinn are not explored at all in this version. He wasn't born in a 7/11 slushy machine in New Mexico like in Deranged Cowboys and Indians either; but rather born in a slushy machine in an abandoned convenience store somewhere in Louisiana. Sally and Nolan prove to be his key to getting what he wants: relevance as a radio show host. * Cone the Other Bullfrog: Slushy's unofficial "younger brother"/best friend, who tags along with him wherever he goes. Cone often tries to be Slushy; but is too happy-go-lucky and absent-minded to use biting sarcasm well. He instead goes for being more annoying than Slushy; making more of an imbecile of himself and garnering pity/fear from the masses at his "soul-devouring stupidity." Cone can sing; which Slushy can't. Cone also has a much higher-pitched voice, being described as "a frog on helium." His trademark "hee-hee!" verbal tic also sets him apart. Unlike Slushy, Cone was born in a snow cone maker machine. * Sphere: This frog sounds like a slightly lower-pitched version of Slushy; but has little personality apart from saying his name and making the earth beneath him tremble. He also tends to roll away from places rather than hop, and causes minor earthquakes whenever he does so. His roly-poly obesity actually proves to make him a powerful weapon. * Vegetable: This frog sounds like an even-higher-pitched version of Cone, and seems to make being an exaggerated version of Cone his entire life's goal. He is younger than the other frogs; and possesses an ability none of them have: he can give a smile that can curl inward on itself. He does this to shock and horrify passers-by quite often. He contributes little to the plot of this story. * Maldo: A whiny frog that sounds less frog-like than any of the others, Maldo is unique for his beady-eyed appearance and mopey demeanor. He also tends to be accident prone, and gets beat up all the time. Others instinctively draw amusement from his comical sufferings. He even considers joining the Toad and betraying Slushy because of how much he resents Slushy; but decides it's not an option when the Toad makes multiple attempts on his life. * Jackalslapnasty: A mischievous jackal with a lisp, Jackalslapnasty tends to run around the island doing pretty much whatever he pleases. He does not seem to be bound by the laws of logic that hold most everyone else back, nor the laws of physics that hold everyone else back. He is a zany, chaotic stupid lunatic of a creature, who never wastes an opportunity to befuddle everyone around him. * The Toad: A female toad that seems to have an unlimited supply of shotguns and ammo. She wants Slushy dead...for some unknown reason. Humans * Sally Neriyan: A teenage girl and a bit of an outcast at school. Sally wants her father's radio station to succeed, especially since police cannot find her missing mother. She is often depressed; but sees Slushy as a good friend and a useful business proposition. * Nolan Neriyan: A middle-aged man trying to take care of his only child Sally. He is often ridiculed by his peers for having only one child, in a nation where having large families is the accepted norm. He is a radio station manager; and is eager to find a new gig to keep his station going. He reasons that the weakest hours are his morning show; and that it has to do with his throat cancer-afflicted host for the morning show slowly dying. Pressure to shut the station down is getting to him; as he is also worried about his missing wife. He and Sally often try to hold conversations, only to realize they have little to discuss. Nolan sees Slushy as a blessing from Heaven; something sent to help him and his daughter have more to talk about. He finds Slushy's gang to be only tolerable, however; since they irritate him (and everyone else) with their antics. * Bob Willingforth: The original morning show DJ. His throat cancer is costing him both his job and his life; but he stays on until he can be suitably replaced. He looks at the arrival of Slushy as an excuse to retire and die in peace. * Rod Cantumaba: An exec with connections to a family dynasty. He has it in for the Neriyans, gleefully counting the days until Nolan is forced to shut down the station. Slushy and the others put a huge dent in his plans by launching "The Slushy Show," forcing Rod to form a shaky alliance with the Toad in order to fight back. Development While this story bears some superficial similarities to Disney's Lilo and Stitch, it's not based on that film in any particular way. The decision to put Slushy and the others in a tropical nation was inspired by the Dozerfleet founder being friends with some Mindanao natives, and the desire to try something different than the usual fare. It also goes along with "As One," which is an adaptation of a song from Parokya ni Edgar. A few scenes added to "Scalding Inquiries" and "What Must Happen" in Stationery Voyagers (the subplot about Amanda being assassinated and crashing a fraternity party) were also inspired by the Dozerfleet founder's friends from Mindanao. Much of the planning for it occurred in the summer of 2011, when the founder was in frequent contact with Lumbia native and 2011 top muse Wilgrace Rodolfo. It was seen as fitting to put Slushy outside of his native environment of Louisiana swamp, to make him interesting again. Unique choice of setting Outside of Stationery Voyagers and some Legacies of the Marlquaan and Gerosha Legends entries of The Gerosha Chronicles, The Slushy Show is one of the first major Dozerfleet works not using the United States as a primary setting. 90 Has No Secant, Cursed is the Ground, and The Natural Logarithm were set in Louisiana, Colorado, and Massachusetts respectively. Most of the Ciem series takes place in southern Indiana. The Gray Champion and its sequel take place in Massachusetts primarily, with the sequel happening partially in Florida towards the end. Navyrope happens in Oklahoma, Pilltar in Iowa. Extirpon goes everywhere. Blood Over Water and Sorbet happen in Michigan. Even the Bison picks on US targets more than any other, though he has shown a propensity for terrorizing Japan in The Bison Reborn. As such, the continued progress on this relies on sources native to the island for accuracy in depicting the island's world; so that it can somewhat feasibly be seen as itself in the Slushyverse. Theme song See also * Rubber Joy * Deranged Cowboys and Indians * 2 Old Men and a Frog Category: Shelved projects Category: Projects from 2011 Category: Dozerfleet Studios projects